Art Garfunkel
Bright Eyes
Is it a kind of a dream
Floating out on the tide
Following the river of death downstream
Oh is it a dream?
There's a fog along the horizon
A strange glow in the sky
And nobody seems to know where it goes
And what does it mean?
Oh is it a dream?
Bright eyes, burning like fire
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly,
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes
Is it a kind of a shadow
Reaching into the night
Wandering over the hills unseen
Oh is it a dream?
There's a high wind in the trees
A cold sound in the air
And nobody ever knows where you go
And where do you start?
Oh into the dark
Bright eyes, burning like fire
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly,
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes
Bright eyes, burning like fire
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly,
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes
first time I heard this song... its pretty touching... then again I've always had a morbid fascination about death...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Dealing with loss
Do you have a pet snake? A pet ferret? A dog? A cat? If your answer is yes, then welcome to the community of animal lovers. Pet gerbils don't count, they're too ugly to be considered animals. *grin*
Well see, unless you have a pet, you won't understand what I'm gonna about to talk about. The bonds and relationship that you have with a pet.
You won't know how it feels to come home, and to see your pet all excited and jumping to reach you from the other side of the door. If your snake does this, please do email me with picture. I could use the extra money.
You won't know what it's like to spend time with your pet, playing or just cosying up on the sofa. Please don't try this with hamsters. Hamster sandwiches aren't very appealing to the palette.
You won't know how it feels to be comforted by the mere loving presence of your pet. Scorpions obviously don't apply here. I for one would feel more threatened than comforted!
Most of all, you won't understand the pain of losing a pet. The death of a pet is a horrible experience. You raised her or him since they were young, and then you watched the light of life fade from their eyes. Be it to disease, old age or an accident. It can be very traumatizing. All of a sudden, there is an empty space in your heart where your pet used to be.
When a pet escapes or disappears, the feeling is even worse I discovered. Recently, exactly a month ago to be exact, my beloved pet dog Baby escaped from the house. The door was left open and she decided to chase a cat. This wasn't the first time she'd escaped. She'd been cat hunting before, but we always caught her.
This time some thing disastrous happened. She was chased by two stray dogs and ran even faster than she normally does. Try as we could, we did not manage to keep up with her. And that was the last we saw of her. Running frantically for her life.
For the next few days, we worked tirelessly to find her. I spent more or less thirty hours on the road, looking for any sign of her. We spent days putting missings posters and going door to door placing pamphlets with her picture on it. Pleading with our neighbours for any information as to her whereabouts. We even placed an advertisement in the Star in hope of some news.
We had a few sympathetic callers, dog lovers themselves, call in to empathise and say that they would keep an eye out for Baby. She was even spotted once in SS19/1F by a lady. She normally puts food out for strays at night. One night she saw Baby whining in the middle of the road. She's terribly small for a Jack Russell and Jack Russell's are already a small breed.
Anyway she was whining because she was hungry and wanted to eat the food, but two larger dogs were stopping her from getting near the food. The lady did not know she was a missing dog, so she did not take her in. It was a heart wrenching experience for me and my family to hear Baby is such a state. And even more painful was the fact that she was almost found and brought back to us.
Today, a month later, all we have of baby are her toys and memories of her. Memories of the warmth she brought our family. Her mischievous antics. Hey playfulness. And most of all the love that she made us feel. She was with us for two years, and she went missing a week before her birthday.
People who don't have pets will tell you, 'Get a new dog,' or 'It's just a dog, get over it already'. But they didn't syringe feed sugar water to Baby when she was sick. They didn't sleep with Baby for two years. And they definitely didn't understand what it was like to lose her so suddenly.
The worst thing about her disappearance is that we do not know where she is. If she is alive or dead. If she's still wandering the streets trying to get home. Or if some one has taken her in and is giving her a new home.
The wondering takes it toll on you. And its even harder to let go, than if the case were that Baby had died in an accident.
Still, my mother lives with the hope that one day Baby will return to us. Until then we will keep her memory close to heart and pray that she is safe.
Well see, unless you have a pet, you won't understand what I'm gonna about to talk about. The bonds and relationship that you have with a pet.
You won't know how it feels to come home, and to see your pet all excited and jumping to reach you from the other side of the door. If your snake does this, please do email me with picture. I could use the extra money.
You won't know what it's like to spend time with your pet, playing or just cosying up on the sofa. Please don't try this with hamsters. Hamster sandwiches aren't very appealing to the palette.
You won't know how it feels to be comforted by the mere loving presence of your pet. Scorpions obviously don't apply here. I for one would feel more threatened than comforted!
Most of all, you won't understand the pain of losing a pet. The death of a pet is a horrible experience. You raised her or him since they were young, and then you watched the light of life fade from their eyes. Be it to disease, old age or an accident. It can be very traumatizing. All of a sudden, there is an empty space in your heart where your pet used to be.
When a pet escapes or disappears, the feeling is even worse I discovered. Recently, exactly a month ago to be exact, my beloved pet dog Baby escaped from the house. The door was left open and she decided to chase a cat. This wasn't the first time she'd escaped. She'd been cat hunting before, but we always caught her.
This time some thing disastrous happened. She was chased by two stray dogs and ran even faster than she normally does. Try as we could, we did not manage to keep up with her. And that was the last we saw of her. Running frantically for her life.
For the next few days, we worked tirelessly to find her. I spent more or less thirty hours on the road, looking for any sign of her. We spent days putting missings posters and going door to door placing pamphlets with her picture on it. Pleading with our neighbours for any information as to her whereabouts. We even placed an advertisement in the Star in hope of some news.
We had a few sympathetic callers, dog lovers themselves, call in to empathise and say that they would keep an eye out for Baby. She was even spotted once in SS19/1F by a lady. She normally puts food out for strays at night. One night she saw Baby whining in the middle of the road. She's terribly small for a Jack Russell and Jack Russell's are already a small breed.
Anyway she was whining because she was hungry and wanted to eat the food, but two larger dogs were stopping her from getting near the food. The lady did not know she was a missing dog, so she did not take her in. It was a heart wrenching experience for me and my family to hear Baby is such a state. And even more painful was the fact that she was almost found and brought back to us.
Today, a month later, all we have of baby are her toys and memories of her. Memories of the warmth she brought our family. Her mischievous antics. Hey playfulness. And most of all the love that she made us feel. She was with us for two years, and she went missing a week before her birthday.
People who don't have pets will tell you, 'Get a new dog,' or 'It's just a dog, get over it already'. But they didn't syringe feed sugar water to Baby when she was sick. They didn't sleep with Baby for two years. And they definitely didn't understand what it was like to lose her so suddenly.
The worst thing about her disappearance is that we do not know where she is. If she is alive or dead. If she's still wandering the streets trying to get home. Or if some one has taken her in and is giving her a new home.
The wondering takes it toll on you. And its even harder to let go, than if the case were that Baby had died in an accident.
Still, my mother lives with the hope that one day Baby will return to us. Until then we will keep her memory close to heart and pray that she is safe.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Dear hacker...
As you can see. I have my blog back. And your posts have gone with the wind. Was it really worth the effort hacking my blog and posting all that crap? I hope it made your day. Cause it definitely made mine. All 5 minutes of retrieving my password was a huge hassle. Such a MAJOR hassle. I could just DIE...
Honestly!
Seriously!
Well.. not really... but at least I tried a little to make you happy. :)
Lamer
Honestly!
Seriously!
Well.. not really... but at least I tried a little to make you happy. :)
Lamer
Friday, April 06, 2007
What the?
You are The Fool
The Fool is the card of infinite possibilities. The bag on the staff indicates that he has all he need to do or be anything he wants, he has only to stop and unpack. He is on his way to a brand new beginning. But the card carries a little bark of warning as well. Stop daydreaming and fantasising and watch your step, lest you fall and end up looking the fool.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
Ouch man... this is a painful reading... hahaha
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
What is reality?
What is reality? If you ask a different person you will get a different answer each time. To me, reality is the difference between our dreams and our actual state of being. Reality is how actual circumstances are versus ideal circumstances.
Everyone has dreams. We have a state that we wish to be in. We have goals that we want to and desire to achieve. We have people that we idolize and want imitate to the end. These are dreams.
Reality is often a lot harsher. It is the actual circumstances that you are in. The actual goals that you are capable of achieving. And who you really are, not who you want to become.
Reality also has a lot to do with perception. The way a person perceives things differently. This is why the answer you get when you ask some one what is reality is different most of the time.
A good example would be the question ‘Is the glass half empty or half full?’. The reality to a pessimistic person would be that the glass is half empty most likely. To an optimistic person where as, the glass would be perceived as half full; and that would be their reality.
So by changing perceptions are we able to change our reality? The answer to this is yes. You are the centre of your reality. You decide what circumstances you allow to affect you and what you do not. If you always perceive things negatively, your reality will be a depressing and dark one. The reverse is also true.
So by making decisions and noticing details, you can alter your perception of reality. A good example would be a son whose father left him through death. If he focuses on the detail that his father left him alone, he may become depressive and introverted. Where as if he realizes that his mother and the rest of his family are still there for him and are even more supportive than before, things may not seem as dark as they are. His reality by noticing details is altered.
Reality is also facts that we assume to be true. Many, many years ago, the reality was that the earth was flat and if you traveled too far to the edge of the world, you’d literally fall off it. It was a fact that no one challenged until Greeks theorized that the earth was a sphere that some people accepted this fact. Later on, Christopher Columbus would embark on a three year journey to prove this fact to be true. When this happened, the ‘reality’ that the earth was flat was dismissed.
In other words, the majority or society decides what reality is. The norm is reality to an extent. It affects our perceptions of what is good and what is bad, thus constructing our perceptions of reality. Society today, has deemed that being thin is attractive. Therefore the reality for fat people is that they are unattractive.
The media also creates a sense of reality for us. It dictates what facts and what information is disseminated to us. Thus, how we perceive the world and other cultures that we do not have direct contact with is shaped by the media.
Reality is a complex thing. While we have a degree of control over it, a lot of it is affected by society and the media.
Everyone has dreams. We have a state that we wish to be in. We have goals that we want to and desire to achieve. We have people that we idolize and want imitate to the end. These are dreams.
Reality is often a lot harsher. It is the actual circumstances that you are in. The actual goals that you are capable of achieving. And who you really are, not who you want to become.
Reality also has a lot to do with perception. The way a person perceives things differently. This is why the answer you get when you ask some one what is reality is different most of the time.
A good example would be the question ‘Is the glass half empty or half full?’. The reality to a pessimistic person would be that the glass is half empty most likely. To an optimistic person where as, the glass would be perceived as half full; and that would be their reality.
So by changing perceptions are we able to change our reality? The answer to this is yes. You are the centre of your reality. You decide what circumstances you allow to affect you and what you do not. If you always perceive things negatively, your reality will be a depressing and dark one. The reverse is also true.
So by making decisions and noticing details, you can alter your perception of reality. A good example would be a son whose father left him through death. If he focuses on the detail that his father left him alone, he may become depressive and introverted. Where as if he realizes that his mother and the rest of his family are still there for him and are even more supportive than before, things may not seem as dark as they are. His reality by noticing details is altered.
Reality is also facts that we assume to be true. Many, many years ago, the reality was that the earth was flat and if you traveled too far to the edge of the world, you’d literally fall off it. It was a fact that no one challenged until Greeks theorized that the earth was a sphere that some people accepted this fact. Later on, Christopher Columbus would embark on a three year journey to prove this fact to be true. When this happened, the ‘reality’ that the earth was flat was dismissed.
In other words, the majority or society decides what reality is. The norm is reality to an extent. It affects our perceptions of what is good and what is bad, thus constructing our perceptions of reality. Society today, has deemed that being thin is attractive. Therefore the reality for fat people is that they are unattractive.
The media also creates a sense of reality for us. It dictates what facts and what information is disseminated to us. Thus, how we perceive the world and other cultures that we do not have direct contact with is shaped by the media.
Reality is a complex thing. While we have a degree of control over it, a lot of it is affected by society and the media.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Blogs, MySpace, Friendster and Alea's slave driving...
The internet is definitely the in thing with teens nowadays. Chats, surfing, Friendster, MySpace, Blogs, the internet is DEFINITELY the ‘in thing’ with teens today.
Let’s take a look at blogs. What are blogs for those of you who are like me and totally non-internet savvy, i.e. ‘lmao’ or ‘ttyl’ means gibberish to us. A blog is basically a personal website, where by a person writes articles or entries about anything and everything under the sun. They’re like diaries, except for the whole world to see! Kind of an oxymoron if you ask me. And no, I don’t mean an idiot with lots of pimple cream.
What kind of things do people write in blogs you ask? Well truth to tell, it can vary from the very personal entries, like their lives, love lives, struggles or triumphs to the more impersonal cooperate blogs which record events or happenings in an organization.
What do teens blog about mostly? The obvious answer is; drum roll please; ANGST! No, not really, but majority do. They use their blogs as a space to ‘rant’ or in simple English, make a lot of complaints about an issue or perhaps their daily lives. Another popular reason teens blog is to express themselves creatively, through humor or by posting pictures of their work or art in the website for the public to view.
There is a section in the blog which makes blogging so much fun and all the more exciting. It’s called the ‘comments’ section. Here practically anyone can give feed back on what they think of your posts or pictures. They may be anonymous, friends or strangers. Every artist or writer secretly desires this most, a critique of their work, be it negative or positive. It swings both ways because as long as there are comments, you know that your work has in some way touched a person and made them take that extra effort to leave a comment on your blog. Pretty satisfying if you have an open mind and semi thick skin.
So blogs are the bestest thing to hit earth after mini skirts, no? Well, that is debatable. Some people abuse blogs to gain attention; which is perhaps a cry for help. They post entries that a filled with crass words, racism and other negative aspects. There are even those who go as far as to write pornography, on their blogs just to get comments and their 15 minutes of glory.
So enough about blogs. What about Friendster and MySpace, two other hot assets on the internet today. Well basically they both serve the same function. They allow you to post an online profile of yourself, that is, your personal details, interests, hobbies and so forth. Not to miss out is the section where you can post photographs of yourself. Also available is what is known as a ‘media box’ where one can post videos, musical or non-musical that they personally like and want to share.
So what’s the big deal about a profile, some photos and another juke box? The answer lies in the fact that it connects you to a whole web of people with profiles, photos and juke boxes! You can add people you find interesting (assuming they find you interesting as well) to your friend list and communicate with them. It’s a revolutionary way of socializing and making friends.
Also, bear in mind that your own friends may be members of Friendster or Myspace, so its internal messaging system and bulletin system is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. It’s also not unusual to bump into long lost friends in these websites. You’ll be surprised how many of your long lost friends are actually members of these websites and it is a great way to catch up on old time and perhaps even organize a meeting in the future.
There is also a testimonial section, where friends can leave, wait for it… testimonials? Bet you didn’t see that one coming did you! So you get a little bit of a buzz when you receive testimonials from your friends which are touching or heart warming. And if you don’t like the testimonials, you can just delete them and pretend it never happened!
So these websites are definitely ‘one giant leap for mankind’, no? Well the answer is again yes and no. There are cases of abuse, especially in the photographs section. Parents are alarmed at the fact their little baby is posting provocative picture of themselves on a website and inviting perfect strangers to rate how good they look. There are those who feel compelled to show bits that are not supposed to be shown. They’re called privates after all.
To be fair, the two sites, Friendster and MySpace, have an abuse report system that works quite efficiently, minimizing the chances of this happening. Further more, users are allowed to choose the level of privacy they want for their profiles; deciding who can and who can’t view them.
Blogs, Friendster and MySpace are all great tools for teens today to utilize. With proper supervision and guidance, hopefully use of these great advances in technology will not be abused.
So here's my article for R.AGE... pretty mundane stuff... but then again it was a mundane topic. What so funny about blogs, Friendster and MySpace... I'll tell you whats NOT FUNNY... that they robbed me of an hour of sleep! Had to meet a deadline of six o'clock so I mass manufactured some humor and some information and threw it together to make an article.... I wonder if I'm getting paid for this... better ask the slave drive aKa Alea this later.... I wants monehhhh $________$
Let’s take a look at blogs. What are blogs for those of you who are like me and totally non-internet savvy, i.e. ‘lmao’ or ‘ttyl’ means gibberish to us. A blog is basically a personal website, where by a person writes articles or entries about anything and everything under the sun. They’re like diaries, except for the whole world to see! Kind of an oxymoron if you ask me. And no, I don’t mean an idiot with lots of pimple cream.
What kind of things do people write in blogs you ask? Well truth to tell, it can vary from the very personal entries, like their lives, love lives, struggles or triumphs to the more impersonal cooperate blogs which record events or happenings in an organization.
What do teens blog about mostly? The obvious answer is; drum roll please; ANGST! No, not really, but majority do. They use their blogs as a space to ‘rant’ or in simple English, make a lot of complaints about an issue or perhaps their daily lives. Another popular reason teens blog is to express themselves creatively, through humor or by posting pictures of their work or art in the website for the public to view.
There is a section in the blog which makes blogging so much fun and all the more exciting. It’s called the ‘comments’ section. Here practically anyone can give feed back on what they think of your posts or pictures. They may be anonymous, friends or strangers. Every artist or writer secretly desires this most, a critique of their work, be it negative or positive. It swings both ways because as long as there are comments, you know that your work has in some way touched a person and made them take that extra effort to leave a comment on your blog. Pretty satisfying if you have an open mind and semi thick skin.
So blogs are the bestest thing to hit earth after mini skirts, no? Well, that is debatable. Some people abuse blogs to gain attention; which is perhaps a cry for help. They post entries that a filled with crass words, racism and other negative aspects. There are even those who go as far as to write pornography, on their blogs just to get comments and their 15 minutes of glory.
So enough about blogs. What about Friendster and MySpace, two other hot assets on the internet today. Well basically they both serve the same function. They allow you to post an online profile of yourself, that is, your personal details, interests, hobbies and so forth. Not to miss out is the section where you can post photographs of yourself. Also available is what is known as a ‘media box’ where one can post videos, musical or non-musical that they personally like and want to share.
So what’s the big deal about a profile, some photos and another juke box? The answer lies in the fact that it connects you to a whole web of people with profiles, photos and juke boxes! You can add people you find interesting (assuming they find you interesting as well) to your friend list and communicate with them. It’s a revolutionary way of socializing and making friends.
Also, bear in mind that your own friends may be members of Friendster or Myspace, so its internal messaging system and bulletin system is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. It’s also not unusual to bump into long lost friends in these websites. You’ll be surprised how many of your long lost friends are actually members of these websites and it is a great way to catch up on old time and perhaps even organize a meeting in the future.
There is also a testimonial section, where friends can leave, wait for it… testimonials? Bet you didn’t see that one coming did you! So you get a little bit of a buzz when you receive testimonials from your friends which are touching or heart warming. And if you don’t like the testimonials, you can just delete them and pretend it never happened!
So these websites are definitely ‘one giant leap for mankind’, no? Well the answer is again yes and no. There are cases of abuse, especially in the photographs section. Parents are alarmed at the fact their little baby is posting provocative picture of themselves on a website and inviting perfect strangers to rate how good they look. There are those who feel compelled to show bits that are not supposed to be shown. They’re called privates after all.
To be fair, the two sites, Friendster and MySpace, have an abuse report system that works quite efficiently, minimizing the chances of this happening. Further more, users are allowed to choose the level of privacy they want for their profiles; deciding who can and who can’t view them.
Blogs, Friendster and MySpace are all great tools for teens today to utilize. With proper supervision and guidance, hopefully use of these great advances in technology will not be abused.
So here's my article for R.AGE... pretty mundane stuff... but then again it was a mundane topic. What so funny about blogs, Friendster and MySpace... I'll tell you whats NOT FUNNY... that they robbed me of an hour of sleep! Had to meet a deadline of six o'clock so I mass manufactured some humor and some information and threw it together to make an article.... I wonder if I'm getting paid for this... better ask the slave drive aKa Alea this later.... I wants monehhhh $________$
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